By Myrna Trauntvein
TN Correspondent

Joe Humphrey and Meadow Perides are the owners of three acres of property at 685 South Old Highway 91 and they would like to build something useful on the property.

They met with city council members to request a zone change for the property because they were interested in building storage units.

“It has been a number of years that we have wanted to do something with the property,” said Humphrey.

He said that after Perides met with the city planning commission, she received a letter in the mail that said that there was a flag on the property. He had returned from Arizona so that he could meet with the council because he could not understand why there would be a flag.

A flag on a deed details issues of public record that will impact rights over the property in question. A notice of pending action means that someone has a lawsuit that may affect the title to the property.

Kasey Wright, city attorney at the time, had placed the flag on the property a few years ago.

“Ed Newton, planning commissioner, retired at our meeting last Wednesday,” said Dennis Gardner, planning commission chairman.

Newton was the only one who was on the commission when the flag was placed and he couldn’t remember the exact circumstances.

“I have never sued the city,” said Humphrey, “and the city has never sued me.”

Sara Samuelson, city finance director, said that she did have some recollection about the reasons behind the flag placed on the property because she had been the planning commission secretary at the time.

“It took seven years in court to solve the case,” said Samuelson. “The city did bring a lawsuit.”

That had happened because an illegal subdivision had been created. The Wilkersons agreed to a road easement that would provide property for a future city street, she said. The property boundaries were examined at the time of the lawsuit.

Kris Kay, council member, said that the road proposed did have a jog in it. It was 550-feet and would be on the north side of the Humphrey property.

“Your property boundaries did not change but your property was flagged at that time,” said Samuelson.

“I was not involved with the Wilkersons,” said Humphrey.

“That is our Main Street,” said Randy Christensen, mayor. “We would like to see something retail or commercial there. We do no want storage units all the way along Main Street.”

He would not favor a zone change that would permit the storage unit construction. Others had also approached the city wanting to do the same thing that Humphrey was proposing and the city did not want to open the gate to allow more and more storage units on Main Street.

“We already have six storage unit sites and we do not need more,” said Amy Stanley, council member. “We are going to need some commercial businesses to sustain Mona in the future.”

She said that the city would need the sales tax to help finance the city needs.

Humphrey said that his property was 220-feet wide but it was deep. He wondered how much of the property could be used for a commercial purpose. He understood that the city allowed a business to be built only one-half block deep along Main Street. He would like to use all of the property for a venture and not just half a block.

“I am interested in building something that will help with my retirement,” he said.

He and Perides were will to work with the city but would like some suggestions on what sort of business they might approve and whether or not they would be allowed to use all of the property or just the front one-half block.

“How about apartments?” he asked.

That might be a use that was needed in the community because there were so few available.

“Multi-housing is not allowed in the city,” said Stanley.

He said that, respectfully, what would be allowed that would be helpful to the community and would be respectful of what the community wanted to be. He said that he was honestly looking for ideas.

Humphrey said that he wondered about a strip mall with six to eight spaces. He thought the planning commission might be open to the idea but the commission wanted the blessing from the council.

Randy Christensen, mayor, said that Humphrey should look at the allowed uses in the zone and see what was possible that he would consider.

“As long as it meets the city code,” said Garner, “it would be allowed.”

Samuelson said that the city would check with the city attorney and see if businesses could be built on the full three acre piece. If something could be allowed behind the half block along Main Street, was not something she knew. The attorney would have to offer his expertise.

“I don’t know the answer,” she said.

As for utilities, said Humphrey, they were close to all but electricity. The property is near the Joan Benson Trucking property which does have all utilities. Humphrey said that he had well water. He was not certain that he could transfer that to the city to cover culinary water needs.

It was still possible to transfer well water to the city’s culinary tank as the water needed for the permit.

“The state used to transfer water on an equal basis,” said Gardner. “They don’t do that anymore. Now they use a formula.”

One recent transfer ended up with the water owner getting 20 shares for his 100.

“I would love to hear your ideas,” said Humphrey, “on what you would like to see there that would be respectful of the city and respectful of me.”

Ideas included an indoor swimming pool which Humphrey said he was not interested in building. Another suggestion was a recreation center on a smaller scale than The Hive in Nephi.

Still another suggestion was a tire shop and still another was a grocery store.